Graduate Team: George and Whispy
About the Team: Whispy is a female yellow Lab; George’s 2nd Guiding Eyes dog
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Training: June 2025 On-Campus
George was born in Cuba and raised in South Florida. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and his Master’s degree in Botany – Taxonomy from the University of South Florida. George retired after working for twenty-six years as an airport and seaport inspector for the United States Department of Agriculture, where he was responsible for scanning the entry of live botanical products. He experienced the onset of CMV retinitis in 1996 and was declared legally blind in 2015. A former President of the Miami Beach Council for the Blind, he currently estimates that he has about 10 to 20 percent of his vision remaining. In his retirement, George enjoys cultivating orchids. He also enjoys traveling, with Key West being his favorite destination, and where he still snorkels occasionally. George appreciates vacations surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, as well. Whispy, his second guide dog from Guiding Eyes, follows Gunther, his first guide dog, whom he received in 2017.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Whispy can still be, at times, very much a puppy. She has a lot of puppy energy. Whispy shows an interest in the stray iguanas that we may come upon in our tropical climate, but while working, she can multitask. She is great with obstacles and stopping to keep me safe.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “Some of my friends had received guide dogs, and I noticed that the guide dogs from Guiding Eyes were much better trained than those from other schools.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “I am more active since getting my first guide dog. I don’t mind walking to new places. I am also getting more opportunities to socialize with other people on the street as well as people with guide dogs in the park.”
Were there any training highlights? “My class had a total of four students. Shannon, my trainer, was able to spend a great amount of time with me as a result. Shannon was great. She is a terrific teacher with great communication skills. Guiding Eyes itself is situated in a terrific location for the training of its students. We walked around several towns, including the City of White Plains. Their selection of training environments kept me right on track with Whispy. Also, the food was very good.”
DOB: 8/13/2023
Litter ID: 7WW23
Color/Breed: Yellow/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Viv
Stud: Clay
Littermates: Warwick, Widget, Willoughby, Whim, Werther, Wave, Webb, Wizard
Region: Southwestern CT
Regional Puppy Instructor: Maureen Hollis
Puppy Raiser: Kathy O’Brien
Facebook: Southwest CT Puppy Raisers
Whispy has a sense of adventure and enjoyed going to the beach, swimming, and going on hikes. She loved our walks around town and quickly learned which houses and shops provided treats. She made it a habit to hop up on and walk along low brick walls that we passed, and wouldn’t hop down until she got a treat. She loves to eat ice cubes on hot days! She’s the first pup I’ve raised, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. ~ Kathy O’Brien
